Tuolumne County residents are having a hard time keeping their homeowner’s insurance due to the risk of wildfires.
Judy Austin, president of the Tuolumne County Association of Realtors, says a large number of residents are seeing their insurance canceled while others are paying much higher prices for insurance if they can find a provider at all.
She says the county holds the highest risk of wildfires in the state, which makes it difficult to find a replacement policy.
“Their insurance policy when they go to seek out another insurance company are triple or denied or they have to go with an additional policy called the California Fair Plan, which again could triple their insurance,” she said.
She says those on fixed income, including the elderly, are especially affected.
“And if their homeowner’s policy is going to be tripled that could add an additional $500 a month and they just cannot afford that,” Austin said.
Austin says those looking to buy a second home in Tuolumne may be discouraged by the high cost of insurance as well.
She adds that people living in the city of Sonora face the same problems as those living in the more heavily wooded areas in the mountains.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today